Is to be understood that the term “connection”, as used herein with reference to a connection between a mobile communication device, specifically a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, and a mobile communication network refers to a state in which a mobile communication device, particularly an M2M device, is attached to and/or registered in the mobile communication network. In this state, there is not necessarily a data connection for exchanging user data established between the mobile communication device and the mobile communication network. Thus, when a mobile communication device is in a so called idle mode, there is also a connection between the mobile communication device and the mobile communication network. Where it is specifically referred to a data connection between a mobile communication device and the network, this is identified herein.
The term machine-to-machine (M2M) stands for the automatic exchange of data between technical devices and a device which takes part in such data exchange is referred to as M2M device. There exists a multitude of applications for M2M communications particularly in the field of remote maintenance and teleservices. M2M devices may be used for transmitting measured data to remote locations or for receiving and executing control commands received from remote locations. For this purposes, the M2M devices may be equipped with or coupled to sensors for measuring data and/or actors for controlling or moving certain appliances.
M2M communications may particularly be performed wirelessly in order to connect M2M devices to systems at remote locations. One possibility for performing a wireless communication is a data transmission via a mobile communication network using a messaging service or a data service provided by such network.
An M2M device which is operated in a mobile communication network usually has a different behavior and different requirements than a mobile communication device of a human user. For instance, an M2M device might generate very small quantities of traffic and might transmit and/or receive data only in greater intervals. However, a multitude of M2M devices might transmit and/or receive data essentially at the same time. For example, this may be the case when a multitude of M2M device is programmed to transmit data at certain hour of the day. Furthermore, unlike mobile communication devices of human users, some M2M device may be operated essentially stationary and thus have no or low mobility.
In order to meet the different requirements of mobile communication devices of human users and M2M device, it may be desirable to manage the connections of M2M devices to a mobile communication network in another way than the connections of mobile communication devices of human users. In particular, it may be desirable to already control the set up of a connection between an M2M device and a mobile communication network differently than the set up of a connection of another mobile communication device. Furthermore, it may be desirable to control the maintaining of the connection between an M2M device and a mobile communication network differently than other connections.